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Zoo readies enclosures to beat the heat

TNN | Mar 30, 2020, 04:17 IST

Water troughs have been kept at various places across the zoo to provide drinking water to free range animals

Hyderabad: With mercury levels rising steadily, Nehru Zoological Park has started taking precautionary measures to avoid summer stress for animals, especially birds and reptiles that are not used to hot weather conditions. Zoo authorities have installed air coolers, sprinklers, wet jute bags and small rain guns in all enclosures to beat the heat. According to zoo authorities, foggers have also been installed in all the enclosures while ‘thunga’ grass and ‘kashkash thattis’ were placed over the roof, on windows, ventilators and doors to prevent exposure to direct sunlight and cool the air. “We are watering the surroundings of the enclosures and the cloth, which is put over doors and windows, are being watered at least 3 to 4 times every day. Over 50 air coolers have been put in enclosures of chimpanzees, monkeys, tigers, jaguars, cheetah, lions and panthers,” Nehru Zoo curator N Kshitija. The four tortoises, two of them which over 100 years old, would also get special care during the summer. “The shell of the tortoise heats up very quickly due to the heat. To keep them cool, we dampen jute bags and place them on their backs. This has to be done at least five to six times a day,” an animal caretaker at the zoo told TOI. This apart, the authorities have also enhanced their diet by adding seasonal fruits like watermelon, muskmelon and citrus varieties in the food to all primates (apes, monkeys, etc.,), birds and bears. Also, Glucon-D, electral powder, Vitamin-C, B-complex supplements and thermo care liquids are being dissolved in water and fed to the animals/ birds to beat the summer stress. All animal keepers have been taking up preventive steps from time to time and water troughs were being kept at various places in the zoo to provide drinking water for the free ranging animals, the zoo authorities said.